Ballot-marking apparatus



Much 1s ,'1'924. l 1,481,493

R.' D. TOLMAN I l' .lmno'r mmm APPARATUS Filed Feb. 21 1923 2shuts-sheet 1 l' n o o l O l |1uwrziul^mummn Arvnlmsnronrhmmm o MAYORinvern somlcomm mrow on .g www uns X mlmsgwusv :i 5,., 232g msnm. am. lv l 1 Malloma c021- wenn man' l 'Il M I( communi il n wat uw: 5*' www':wmf "-3 1 Jmnw 'naamw lm-lf www g 1 3 n nulmncrmnu gum 4 Y. Minne Y 22*22 --2o` .Z5 I I Much 1s, 1924. 1,487,493 x .R. D. TOL-MAN BALLTMARKING APPARATUS Filed Feb.v 21. l1923 2 sums-sheet 2 REPuucAN MAYO RrwronV A A LDER MAN Z5 couuclmsu Mpuuclmeu I v .l In; Y *A v 27 V- f/{Wl I L l l 3 o l I o 30 Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

UNITED STATES ROY D. TOIYJMAN, F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

BALLo'r-MARKING APPARATUS.

Application le'd February 21, 1923. Serial No. 620,539.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROY D. TOLMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester, and

in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ballot-MarkingApparatus.

Since the Australianballot system was inaugurated a number of years ago,it yhas been the custom for the voter after receiving his ballot to goto a voting booth and mark the ballot. While a few votershave to ask forassistance in marking their ballot, the very large majority of thevoters mark their ballots independently. This independence has gone sofar that many times the careless and poorly educated voter does notreally know how to vote when he has been handed his ballot and inconsequence the crosses are made on any part of the ballot regardless ofthe instructions upon the. ballot.

Thousands of ballots have been thrown out as illegal every yearfor thereason that the crosses are not made in the proper legal spaces. Crossesare madeunder the name of the candidate, overthe name and in many pcases where it is impossible for the election oflicials'to determine thewill of the voter.

' 30 It is important that every vote or cross upon the ballot shouldcount and to accomplish this object, I have invented a new apparatus foruse in marking ballots which will make it impossible for a voter to marka ballot illegally.

Each State has a form of ballot and a column in which the voter legallyymakes his crosses and I have so constructed my apparatus that a voter inany State with any form of ballot will have toy mark his crosses in theproperv spaces or columns if he votes at all. W ithmy apparatus thefvoter cannot make a crossA upon any part 'of the ballot as he has beenat liberty to do under the present old style methods of yoting. I'have`arranged to cover'over all of the ballot that should not be marked andin consequence, the voter `cannot be misled in marking his ballot. i Thefollowing lspecification accompanied with draw-Y ings will clearly-showAthe K4broad expanse to which my present invention may be adapted forall kinds of ballots at different elections.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of my ballot mark# ing apparatus. y

Figure 2 is a front edge view of thesame.

Figure 3 is a central sectional view upon line 3 3 Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a similar section but showing the cover raised so that anopen ballot may be placed within the apparatus.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a modified form of cover. l

yFigure 6 is a plan view of a modified form of apparatus adapted to beused with a different form of ballot.

The ballot marking apparatus as shown in the accompanying drawingscomprises a base board 10 having securely mounted thereon a rectangularframe 11 which may be open on one side thereof as shown at 12 Fig. 2.The opening 12 is so provided that va ballet may be opened and slid intothe apparatus for marking without having to raise the cover 13. Whilethis method can be used in inserting a ballot, I prefer the methodhereinafter described. The rectangular frame 11 forms a pocket 14 intowhich.

.the unfolded ballot A is placed by the voter and it is a preferred formto raise the cover by the handle 31 when depositing a ballot formarking. Vhile I have shown the cover 13 as hinged at 15 to the baseboard 10. the same may be securely fastened by means of a clip 16 and inthis case the voter slides his ballot A through the opening 12 into thepocket 14 of the apparatus. n

In the construction of the cover 13, I have shown a preferred form inFig. 1 which is adaptable for use with the form of ballot as used in theelections of Massachusetts. The Massachusetts ballot has the columns forthe crosses at the right of the candidates name while with some otherStates, Y this column is at the left of the candidates name. Thereforein describing this preferred form of cover with columns for crosses tothe right of the name, I am aware that my apparatus can be made ineither form without departing from the scope of my invention.

The cover 13 is recessed 17 so that sheets of transparent material-18suclrjas celluloid or glass may be secured therein and the transparentmaterial 18 may be held in place by meansof pins 19. The sheets oftransparent material 18 are so positioned as to cover over all portionsof the ballot which may be placed in the apparatus except in the spaceswherein the crosses are. to be made. In Fig. 1 I have shown thetransparent material 18 with open spaces 2O at the right thereof largeenough and no larger than the legal spaces upon the ballot, these spacesvvill allovv a voter to mark his crosses only in the legal squares uponthe ballot. IVith the lilassachusetts form ot ballot, the legal squaresto the right of the names are the only legal spaces ivherein the votershould mark his ballot and therefore ivith the bodq portion of theballot covered, the voter can only vote in the legal spaces.

As a preferred method of placing an opened ballot in in v apparatus, Ibelieve it is best to raise the cover 13 ivith the transparent sections1S held therein and furthermoie it is desirable to limit the upwardmovement ot' the cover so that a voter in a voting booth cannot help butuse the apparat tus provided there for marking his ballot.

It it was possible to raise the cover completely, a voter might niarkhis ballot with out having 4to use the protective cover 13. To limit theupvvard movement of the cover 13. I tasten a stop-plate 21 upon thehinge side of the cover so that the cover can only be raisedsutlicientlv to admit an opened ballot. In order to protect the edges ofCelluloid or glass and hold them in placef I bind them in vvavs 22.

Ilhile it has been shoivn that a ballot can be covered ivith glass orcelluloid, it might be. preferred to use this same material held inplace as described but covered over -with a printed torni which vvouldbe a tacsimile to the ballot printing in ever),v detail. In this casethe voter would not sce his entire ballotI except the spaces in which heivas to make his crosses but he would see his entire ballot markedcorrectl)Y when he removed it trom the apparatus. Since a cover of thiskind Would have au appearance similar to that ot the cover shoivn inFig. 1 it is not shoivn in a separate drawing.

In Fig. 5 I have shoivn an apparatus having a covering of a slightlyvdifferent structure, that ot a Wire mesh 23 instead of celluloid orglass. I believe that a ivire mesh can be made so delicate and vet so asto obstruct a marking, that a voter could not mark his ballot except inthe proper legal spaces.

Thile I have heretofore described a marking apparatus adapted for theMassachusetts form ot ballot, I am aware that a number ot other forms ofballots are. novv in use in other States which vary from theMassachusetts form. As an example of a different form of ballot, I haveshown in Fig. 6 a ballot that has a partv column and my vinvention canbe applied to this form as Well as to the Massachusetts form and at thesame time, the voter can use it as readily.

In the apparatus as shovvn in Fig. 6 I

have made another modification in the manner of arranging thetransparent sections 18. The construction of the cover 13 is verysimilar to that as shown in Fig. 1 except the transparent sections 18are made up of individual units Q4. Some of the units 24 especiall)vthose having the candidates names beneath have slotted sections as shownat Q5. It will be seen that with this form of ballot a variation nodoubt would be made at evertvv elect-ion in the listing ot thecandidates. so that dill'erent units would vary as to the make-up ot theballot. To allow for a change to be made` the individual units Q41- areadapted to slide in place along the v-fays 2Q similar to that shown inFigs. 3 and 4. After all units are properlv arranged, the clamping bar26 is secured to the cover 13 by means ot' screws QT. IVith this lformof ballot in use, a circular opening 28 in the top section allows avoter to mark for his entire party by making a cross in this circularopening but should he decide to split his ticket and vote tor acandidate in some otlice of the opposite part)Y he would proceedfurther. The voter in splitting his ballot ivould mark a cross in thespace opposite to the name oit his choice in the other part)v column butwhile he voted a straight part)v ticket, the laws require that the nameshould be scratched through of that otlice in his parti.' column. Inorder to allow a voter to scratch through a name if desired` I haveprovided slotted sections as at .25 to be placed over each candidatesname.

As an example of marking this form of ballot, I have shown a partyvcolumn ballot in Fig. 6 so voted or split as to illustrate the principleof having slotted sections 25. In this case, the Republican candidatefor alderman has been scratched as shown at Q9 and a cross made in theopposite .party column tor that otlice. In constructing the, cover, itis immaterial how the cover is hung for I have shoivn a differentpivoted connection in each ase The entire marking apparatus mai7 besecured to the shelf of a voting booth bv means of screws passingthrough lugs 30 attached to the base board 10.

I claim:

1. A ballot marking apparatus comprising a base with a transparent coverfor the ballot and a vertical column open in the cover.

2. A ballot marking apparatus having a transparent cover so constructedthat the ballot is exposed for marking only in the legal sections.

3. A ballot marking apparatus having n transparent cover open insections wherein the crosses are to be made.

4. An apparatus for marking ballots having a ballot pocket, a cover soconstructed that the printing on the ballot is visible and lll meanswhereby the ballot isl exposed for marking only in the legal sections.

5. An apparatus for marking ballots having a window so constructed thatthe printing on the ballot is visible and an opening through the Windowin a specified column.

6. An apparatus for marking ballots having a ballot pocket, a coveradapted to be brought upon a ballot so that the printing is visible andmeans whereby only specified sections of the ballot are exposed formarkin An apparatus used in marking ballots having a base with a coverattached thereto, a vertical column open in the cover and an opening inthe base for the admittance of a ballot.

8. A ballot marking apparatus comprising a base forming a ballot pocket,a cover so constructed that the printing on the ballot is visible andmeans for so covering the printing on a ballot that no marks can be madethereon exce t in the legal sections.

9. A ballot mar ing apparatus comprising a base for holding a ballot, acover for covering over certain sections upon the ballot and means forpreventing an inserted ballot being marked without using the cover.

10. A ballot marking apparatus having a ballot pocket with a coverthereto, a vertical column open in the cover and an opening through oneside of the pocket adapted for the admittance of a ballot.

11. A ballot marking apparatus having a ballot pocket, a cover soconstructed of wire mesh that all printing on the ballot is visible andmeans whereby only specified sections are open for marking.

12. An apparatus for marking ballots comprising a ballot pocket with atransparent cover open only in sections, said cover composed ofindividual units so united in Ways that they form the body portion ofsaid cover.

13. An apparatus for marking ballots comprising a ballot pocket having acover constructed of individual units and means for so mounting theunits in ways that the arrangement of the units can be varied accordinto the makeup of the ballot.

14. n apparatus for marking ballots comprising a ballot pocket, a covermade up of individual sections adapted to be held in ways and a circularopening in the iirst section whereby a vote can be made therein for theentire party ticket.

15. An apparatus for marking ballots having a base with a cover, saidcover cornposed of plain and slotted sections held in ways and means forso altering the plain and slotted sections that the slotted sections canbe placed over the names of the candidates on the ballot.

16. An apparatus for marking ballots having a base with a cover made upof individual sections held in ways and slotted sections adapted to beplaced over the names of the candidates on the ballot.

17. An apparatus for marking ballots having a cover so constructed thatall printing on the ballot is Visible and openings through the coveradjacent to each candidates name.

18. An apparatus for marking ballots having a covering means whichermits the reading of the ballot therethroug and o enings in thecovering means whereby the allot is exposed for marking only in thelegal sections.

19. An apparatus for marking ballots having a ballot pocket, means foradmitting a ballot into the pocket and a cover adapted to hold afacsimile of the printing upon the ballot being used.

20. An apparatus for marking ballots having a base with a coverattached, a vertical column open in thecover and means whereby the coveris adapted to support a facsimile of the printing upon the ballot beingused.

ROY D. TOLMAN. Witnesses:

CAROLINE ToLMAN, E. BERT JOHNSON.

